Colorado Springs hospital shooting leaves 2 dead in apparent murder-suicide
Colorado Springs CO June 24 2019
A man and a woman died in an apparent murder-suicide Saturday inside UCHealth Memorial Hospital Central, Colorado Springs police said.
Police spokesman Lt. James Sokolik said the shooting in a room at the sprawling hospital complex in the 1400 block of East Boulder Street was reported about 1 p.m.
Lynette Beach, 56, who was sitting on a nearby bus stop bench, saw officers rushing into the hospital with rifles and pistols drawn. “I quickly said a prayer for everybody who was involved,” Beach said.
The names of the victims and their ages were not released. Sokolik and a hospital spokeswoman declined to say if either was a patient or a visitor at the hospital.
Hospital spokeswoman Cary Vogrin said no hospital employees were involved in the shooting and that the hospital remains open and operating normally.
“There is no threat to patients, visitors or staff,” she said.
The only metal detector at the hospital is at the entrance to the emergency room.
Vogrin had no information on how the gun was brought into the hospital but guessed it was at an unprotected entrance.
Police officers investigating crimes and incidents are routinely at the hospital, Vogrin said, but none are assigned there. The hospital has security guards, but they are not armed, she said.
Mark Mayes, associate chief nursing officer, commended hospital staff for their response, adding counselors were on hand to help any who were experiencing trauma from the shooting.
